England together with Wales will face off in the same pool for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a major pool stage clash in Australia. They are joined in Group F by Tonga and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing mirrors their memorable clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at England's home ground contributed to the English team's shock group stage elimination.
Other Notable Pool Draws
Ireland alongside Scotland also share a pool once again, replicating the situation from the 2023 edition. In that tournament, they claimed a 36-14 win, with their opponents failing to advance to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Portugal, who each impressed as underdogs in France, round out that same group.
Significantly, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F cannot meet holders and world number one South Africa before the showpiece match, presuming the Springboks top their assigned pool.
Tournament Ramifications
Should the pools conclude in line with the current world rankings, further leading contenders like the All Blacks and Les Bleus would also be kept apart from the likes of England and Ireland until the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the remaining top-ranked nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies find themselves together with their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions New Zealand in Pool A.
The Wallabies will kick off the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to jump-start the competition.
In other groups, holders the Springboks have drawn Italy, the Lelos and Romania. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, future hosts the USA and Manu Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Spain and the Canadian team as the tournament expands to 24 teams from the twenty who competed in 2023.
The 2027 tournament will feature a last-16 round for the first time in the competition's existence.
Although the victor of England and Wales's group may be kept apart from some of the game's biggest beasts early on, they will meet the runner-up from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the remaining six group winners will play a team that finished third from the pool stages.
Rugby World Cup 2027 Groups
Pool A
- New Zealand
- Australia
- Chile
- Hong Kong
Pool B
- South Africa
- Italy
- Georgia
- Romania
Pool C
- Argentina
- Fiji
- Spain
- Canada
Pool D
- Ireland
- Scotland
- Uruguay
- Portugal
Pool E
- France
- Japan
- USA
- Samoa
Pool F
- England
- Wales
- Tonga
- Zimbabwe
